In this edition:
- Inspiration from Natalie for a powerful 2012
- What not to do as a CEO:
- What I am reading: A review of ‘The Starfish and The Spider”
1) The challenges of 2011 are behind you, and I’m sure that the events of the past year have opened your eyes to the challenges that might lie ahead. By now you have begun to acknowledge and accept that you live in times of constant change and challenge. So how will you measure your success in 2012?
Change fitness
In today’s turbulent world, certain skills and qualities have become more prominent and vital than others, for example, pliability rather t han orderliness is how you introduce clarity to confusing or complex situations for creative decision making.
Getting stuck in a need for orderliness, attached to how things should or used to be, could cost you valuable time and energy. Instead, ask yourself how much mess or chaos you are prepared to live with and make a routine NOW that supports you for the journey. In this way you can stay focused on the bigger picture, turn your attention to emerging and developing other skills, and find new inspiration and solutions.
Think of bamboo that grows towards the sun, , it is supple in the wind and rain yet strong and committed to it’s purpose. Being change fit allows you to adapt and bend as you reach for your goals, and to move more swiftly during periods of transition.By being change fit you can set powerful goals, with the open-mindedness to see when those goals need to be shifted and redefined – without losing momentum or motivation.
Emotional and spiritual int elligence
How goals are measured is transforming too. If they are ethical, authentic, generous, good and right, your goals will lead to fruition.
By developing emotional and spiritual intelligence you can lift the veils of deception and distortion and be present to the reality or truth of a situation. This will allow you to understand how your goals affect all stakeholders, and make decisions that have integrity, that are ethical and “value-full”,
As I see it, 2012 is a magical time for paying it forward, for aligning your values and purpose, and showing generosity in a time of perceived lack, it may not be easy but the rewards will be great.
Measure your success by your presence and pliability in the face of challenge and change, your creativity when leading others towards shifting goals, your ethical and value-filled awareness, and your generosity.
Enjoy the journey in 2012
Sk ills coaching for 2012: Pliability, the ability to inspire confidence and lead with vulnerability and calmness, internal resilience, creativity, emotional/spiritual intelligence and generosity.
2) I often find articles on what to do as a leader, and so when I read this I found it very refreshing: a list of what NOT to do. Give it a read, you may find it useful when setting your goals for the year and identifying growth areas.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/ericjackson/2012/01/02/the-seven-habits-of-spectacularly-unsuccessful-executives/3) The Starfish and The Spider: (A review)
Ori Brafman and Rod Beckstrom are entrepreneurs. In The Starfish and the Spider they express their fascination of decentralized organizations, and their impact on the business world. Based on numerous examples, ranging from Alcoholics Anonymous to Skype and Wikipedia, they present to us a model of decentralized organization and the new business rules it implies.
A decentralized organization, compared to Starfish, can be defined by several characteristics, such as: 1. No specific person in charge and no headquarters, which imply that it’s not easy to destroy it by “thumping it on the head”2. An amorphous division of roles, so that the organization would not be affected by losing any of its units3. Distribution of knowledge and power4. Flexibility5. Self-funding of units6. Direct communication between the working groups
On top of the above characteristics, the authors define five building blocks of starfish organizations:
Circles:
1. independent circles. When using Internet for communication, the circles become virtual, which are very easy to form and join. However, virtual circles also lack bonding between its members, and may be subject to free-riding or destructive behavior. Circles lack hierarchy or structure, but instead the y depend on norms for realizing their objectives. These norms are self-enforced, members enforce them with one another. As a result, there is a sense of trust among the community.
2. The Catalyst: According to the authors, every open organization starts with a catalyst – a person who initiates a circle and then moves into the background, giving away control to the members. Catalysts let go of the leadership role, and transfer it to the circle.
3. Ideology: Decentralized organizations are built on a foundation of shared ideology.
4. The Preexisting Network: Very often, starfish organizations are started from the basis of a preexisting, decentralized platform. Currently, the Internet has become such platform. Because there are almost no entrance barriers for the Internet, it is very easy to launch web-based decentralized organizations in this environment.
5. The Champion: The champion represents another key role in starfi sh organizations, next to the catalyst. While catalysts envision the organization and inspire the members, champions actually implement the ideas and drive execution. Champions are key in gaining a critical mass of any movement, as they engage new members and “sell” the catalysts’ vision.
Following the description of leaderless organizations, the authors define several rules that apply to the business world affected by decentralization:
1. Decentralized organizations tend to become more open and decentralized when attacked, while centralized organizations react with greater centralization to an attack.
2. Centralized and decentralized organizations are not easy to distinguish.
3. The knowledge and intelligence are spread throughout the system of starfish organizations.
4. Open systems can easily mutate.5. The decentralized organization advance and grow unnoticed.
6. As industries become decentralized, overall profits d ecrease.
7. People are eager to contribute when they are in an open system.
Other topics covered in the book include a characteristic of catalysts, strategies to combat starfish organizations, and a hybrid business model (introducing decentralized elements into a centralized organization).
Overall, the book is quite an easy read thanks to many stories and examples. The ideas presented in the book are novel and may stimulate a rethinking of the rigid business models. However, it’s only a popular book – there is no evidence supporting the presented models and principles, and everything is based on observation and conclusion from several examples.
